TLDR: Homeless person has spray painted "I NEED A MIRACLE" on their tent. What if we raised money to just straight up gave this person a miracle this Christmas? Is that a problematic idea?
Every day my bike commute brings me past a homeless encampment
here. It has steadily been filling up because it is on caltrans land, which means that the city of Berkeley can't clear the camp as easily.
I don't know much about the camp itself, other than they seem to be engaged in their struggle, they started the
WHERE DO WE GO? in Berkeley, which has been gaining a lot of notoriety.
As the weather has gotten cold (it was 39 degrees on my ride this morning, someone spray painted "I NEED A MIRACLE" on their tent. I don't know this person, I don't know how to evaluate whether someone is a "good recipient" for this miracle or how to evaluate that.
What I know is that the homelessness crisis occupies a lot of my brain-space and feels totally intractable. It feels like it would be cool to have a direct connection to someone we are helping get back on their feet with a sizeable nestegg, as opposed to donating to a larger org.
I'm open to critical feedback here - I can't tell if I'm being a white savior here (they don't need to know who donated?) or whether my money is better donated to people out on the front lines doing the work every day.
We are part of a community that has a lot of extra money and probably isn't donating as much as we should (🙋) because opportunities havent been in front of our faces. What do we feel about creating a Starbarf++ Miracle Fund, trying to raise a substantial about of money in the next few days, and straight up going to the camp and giving this person a Christmas miracle?
Let me know your thoughts.
Phil
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Phil Narodick
3211 King St
Berkeley, CA 94703
cell: 206.295.1550
In the long term, economic sustainability
depends on ecological sustainability.